Schools will be given £17 million to improve mental health support for pupils, Vicky Ford, the children’s minister, said yesterday as she spoke of her struggle with anorexia. Head teachers welcomed the investment but said that more should be spent on tackling the underlying causes, particularly child poverty. SponsoredThe government said that thousands of pupils would benefit from better support and advice. It said that up to 7,800 schools and colleges in England would be offered £9.5 million to train a senior mental health lead from their staff in the next academic year. Another £7 million would fund a “wellbeing for education recovery” programme to provide free training and support for staff dealing with children who have experienced pressures during lockdown, such as trauma,

Source: The Times May 09, 2021 23:03 UTC